Walking on the Wild Side
by Creature of Grimm
Summary: Inspired by his father and Sirius, Harry decides to try and because an Animagus. Unfortunately, when has anything every been easy for the Boy who Lived? Short Summary I know, but not much more to say. Rate M. Pairing Decided.
1. Beast Under Your Skin

**Story starts in the summer before Harry's Fourth Year.**

 **There is no Animagus Registration unless you are caught using it to cause trouble or break the law in this fic.**

 **Also, just because I can't remember what was and wasn't around in the 90s, I am moving the timeline into 2015 so I don't have to worry about it as much.**

 **Hope you enjoy :)**

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 **Summary:** Inspired by his father and Sirius, Harry decides to try and because an Animagus. Unfortunately, when has anything every been easy for the Boy who Lived?

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 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Harry Potter

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Chapter 1- Beast Under Your Skin

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Harry couldn't help but blush even though no one was around to see him. He was also cold and his body shivered slightly as a cool wind blew over his bare chest and…other places. For reasons he was struggling to remember Harry was stood in a field at the local park, naked. It was almost midnight and the full moon was high in the sky almost directly above his head.

He even had to take his glasses off, which made thing harder than they were already going to be.

It hadn't been easy to find out how to become an Animagus. It was classed as advanced magic and therefore dangerous. So, while there were a lot of _references_ to Animagus training the process to become one was not so easy to find.

Luckily Harry now had the threat of his Escaped 'Mass Murderer' Godfather to keep the Dursley's off his back. He was even able to get bus money from his Aunt, though it was more to get him out of the house and away from them more than anything. Harry never realised just how much bigger Diagon Alley was before he needed to wonder off the main street. It took over a week to find a little shop in a back alley of Diagon Alley that had a very old, very worn out book.

It was called 'Origins of the Inner Beast', though the authors name was faded out so Harry didn't know who wrote it. According to the book there were several ways to become an Animagus, each with their own positives and negatives.

The oldest and original method, before it even had a name, was to have someone transfigure you into an animal of your or their choice. Repeatedly. So many times, that your body and magic remembered how it changed and you could do it at will. The problem with this was that you rarely ended up with your true animal form and it had led to many witches and wizards going mad from conflicting instincts.

People who had forced their form to be a wolf or tiger jumping off cliffs because their natural form was a bird and they forgot they couldn't fly or drowned because it was an aquatic animal and they tried to breath underwater. People with natural Herbivore forms turning into predators and the conflicting instincts leading them to staving themselves because they didn't know what to eat anymore…

The practice had quickly fallen out of use.

The first True Animagus were called Changelings, and had a very dark history.

Back before Wizards and Witches had discovered a way to track the use of underage magic there had been a lot of Muggleborns that slipped through the net. Families had no idea what was happening when strange things would happen around their children and many thought they had been replaced by demons in the night. Leading to the Muggle myths of 'Changelings'.

This led to many being abandoned in the wilds, some as young as three.

When this happened one of two things would happen.

The first and most likely thing was that they would die. After all they were children and had no way of surviving without someone to take care of them. However, the second and much rarer thing that happened was that they would perform a very rare and dangerous bit of accidental magic. After all, at a young age Magic tended to react to 'desire' and 'situation'. The magic would react to the child's desire to survive and in the wild animals survived.

Because of it being their own, natural magic that cause the change, they would turn into their natural animal form. This meant there were no conflicting instincts to drive them insane. Then somehow by what could only be considered the will of magic these children had come together and formed 'Packs' that helped each other to survive.

It wasn't until after the formation of the Wizarding World that anyone had realised what had been happening and by then it was too late.

After generations of living in the wild like animals a new magical race had been born, The Changelings. Wild, uncontrollable, and complete driven by their instincts. They were stronger, faster, and deadlier then Wizards and Witches but had little control other than their change. Even their magic had become something different. Like the Changelings it was uncontrollable and would lash out, they couldn't even use Wands their magic was so different.

They were uncontrollable and listened to only themselves, and tended to run wild in the areas they considered there territory even if Muggles were nearby. More than one town had been levelled by the Changelings and more deaths then had ever been recorded.

When the Wizarding world retreated into the shadows and away from the Muggle World this become a very big problem. There had been multiple failed attempts to negotiate with the Changelings, who had at some point come under the banner of a single 'Alfa', a Bear Changeling known only as 'Grandfather'. All attempts at bringing the wild creatures under control failed.

The Wizards and Witches were forced to do something drastic. A 'cull' had been ordered. Every Changeling was hunted down and killed to the last.

The final battle, in which Grandfather himself fought, resulted in the deaths of over 300 witches and Wizards…and the last 20 Changelings. Considering the low number of magical births at the time in history it had been a devastating blow to the population.

It had gone down in history as 'The Final Battle of the Beasts'.

Then there was the third, less dangerous method of becoming an Animagus.

Years after it was fought one of the only surviving wizards of the Final Battle of the Beasts, Abraham Magus, announced his research into the Changelings and their ability to become animals at will. It turns out the Changelings had fascinated the man long before the Cull even began. He spent years observing them, their behaviour and how their magic worked.

It was the main reason he had been involved with the Cull, Abraham Magus knew the most about the Changelings. His knowledge was vital to their defeat had had saved many lives.

So, after years of researched that had continued even after the Cull, Abraham was able to create a Potion that forced a Wizard to take the form of the Animal that their magic found most suitable. The Animagus Potion.

If Harry took this option he would be required to take the potion until his body and mind were able to remember his form and force the change at will. The average was estimated at two months, but there it could take less or longer depending on the individual.

A side note was that after all his years of effort and hard work to perfect his Potion and become an Animagus, Abraham found out his Animal form was a turkey…apparently, he killed himself shortly after discovering this.

The Potion was the second fastest method in the book, and defiantly the easiest. Unfortunately, there were too things that made this option unusable for Harry.

The first was that about a hundred years after its invention, it was discovered that the Animagus Potion was highly addictive and if taken too often or for too long Witches and Wizards could become stuck in their animal form permanently. For this reason, it had been outlawed. It had apparently been a big scandal.

The second was that the book really was old and worn, and the pages that had the Potion instructions had at some point been torn out so he didn't even know how to make it.

After the scandal of the Animagus Potion there was a period that no one would even speak of the subject. Until many years after the Potion was banned a Witch, who's name had 'unfortunately' been lost, discovered a new and safe way to become an Animagus. It had been a different time, though not so different to now, and the Wizards didn't want the Witch to be remembered because they didn't discover it.

But anyway, this method was the safest but also took the longest. As in years and years. It also involved something called Occlumency. The book didn't go into much detail but from what Harry could tell it basically had something to do with the mind and organising your thoughts.

Anyway, you basically meditate until you find your inner animal, then slowly work on bringing it out of the subconscious mind and into the conscious. After that came the even slower processes of bringing the Animal out of the mind and into the body.

The average time it took to become an Animagus with this method was 15 years. Harry wanted to be honest with himself and knew that this would take too long. He wasn't patient enough and wanted to be an Animagus as soon as possible.

Despite the risk if he had the recipe Harry would have used the Animagus Potion.

It wasn't until he came to the end of the book that Harry found his answer. Behind five pages of warning and advise not to follow the final method, were instructions for a Ritual. It would force him into his Animagus form for one hour before he changed back. After that he would be able to change back and forth at will…at least with a little practice.

He wasn't sure where the ritual fit into the history he had been reading about though. It didn't give any details like the rest of the methods had.

Harry didn't know much about Rituals. They weren't taught at Hogwarts and the Library had very little on them according to Hermione, who had looked them up for some 'light reading'. Ritual were how Wizards and Witches did magic before wands were created. They were very complicated and tended to have odd things happen that weren't supposed to happen when used. Even the slightest interruption or interference could have large effects.

There was a reason Rituals weren't used anymore outside of research and under strict observation. The other thing of note was that Rituals always involved the user sacrificing something. Give something to get something back, as it were.

Not in the way that meant Harry would be slitting the throats of goats like Muggles thought though, very few Rituals called for something like that and they were usually illegal. No, most Rituals called for Emotional Sacrifice. It could be something most considered worthless, but to that one person meant everything. Some Rituals, the more dangerous ones, didn't even specify what was needed to be sacrificed before you preformed them.

Part of the warning was an example of a Ritual that didn't go as planned. Apparently, a couple that couldn't have kinds had performed a Fertility Ritual, something that was common at the time and used without issue. Until then. The Ritual worked, and the couple gave birth to beautiful twin girls.

Everything was normal until they reached the age of 15, and then something odd happened to their magic and bodies. Men started falling over themselves around them, doing everything to get their attention. Even their own father had fallen under their 'spell'. They also developed a half bird form and gained an uncommon affinity for fire.

Eventually the sisters had families of their own, giving birth to daughters of their own who at the age of 15 also showed the same ability that would later become known as Allure. In the present day the ancestors of the two sisters were classed as a separate race to Witches, any child born of the Twins line was born a girl after all, called Veela.

The point of the story was that even Rituals used a hundred times with the same result could have unforeseen consequences.

But Harry had a good feeling about this…

So according to the book the Ritual needed to be performed under the light of the full moon at midnight.

Check.

Next was drawing a symbol on the ground, drawn with a special kind of chalk made from ground up Dragon Bone. A simple Triangle inside a circle with several other symbols inside and around it that Harry couldn't even begin to describe.

Check.

Three candles made from Unicorn ear wax placed in the middle of each line of the Triangle, forming an upside-down Triangle over the chalk one.

Check…and more proof that the magical world was weird.

Remove all possible outside magical influence, which in Harry's case mostly meant his wand. Rituals predated Wands. As unpredictable as Rituals could be Wands made things worst. The cores made from Magical Creatures held their own magic and could interfere with the Ritual. He had left it under one of his floorboards in his room back at the Dursleys.

Check.

Remove all possible mundane influences…he was stood in the middle of the park naked…enough said. He left both his cloths and glasses under a tree out of site but where he would be able to find them later.

Check.

Three items he held dear, as payment…

Check.

That had been the hardest part, choosing his 'payment'.

You couldn't cheat a Ritual, Magic enforces them and you can't lie to Magic. If the Sacrifice wasn't true then 'bad things would happen'. At least that was what the book claimed. Harry didn't have any desire to test that.

The first item he was offering was a small army man toy. It was old and slightly misshapen, but it had been Harry's first and only toy and had sat on the shelf inside his cupboard. He had even taken it to Hogwarts every year and kept it under his pillow.

The second was his Hogwarts letter. The one Hagrid had personally given him on his eleventh birthday. The letter that changed his life.

Finally, the third offering…was a picture. It was black and white, and in it were his parents holding a baby Harry. They were both smiling and waving at him like most wizard photo's, his mother holding baby Harry close to her chest. It was his favourite of the photo's Hagrid had given him in his first year.

Each item was placed at one of the points of the triangle.

Letting out a deep breath Harry stepped into the Ritual in the centre of the triangle, and wait as the clock slowly ticked closer to midnight. As the second ticked by Harry couldn't help but wonder what his Animagus form would be, and it could be anything.

During the Animagus boom that had followed the invention of the Animagus Potion almost every possible Animal form had been recorded. From insects to extinct animals, anything was possible. Although no one had every registered a Magical Creature as their form. Apparently, there had been one Wizards whose form had been rumoured to be a Dodo bird, though Harry really hoped his form wasn't anything like that. After everything he had gone through Harry really didn't want to end up as one of those funny little anecdotes about Wizards that ended up disappointed because their form was something stupid.

Harry was quickly brought out of his thoughts when the chalk symbols he drew started to glow with a pale white light. It looked a lot like moonlight. The little flames on the ends of the candles suddenly grew, more than doubling in size as the wind picked up without warning.

After that everything seemed to start happening very quickly.

The fire from the candles seemed to catch on the wind and started to circle around Harry, forming a small wall of flame on all sides. Even with his blurry vision Harry could see everything that was happening.

His three offerings caught on fire, even the plastic army man, and started giving off a dark red smoke that joined the fire circling around him. The flames got even brighter after that and Harry was forced to close his eyes from both the heat and the light. He could feel the flames licking at his skin and the air getting thinner.

His breath was coming in pants now and he fell to one knee as it got harder the breath.

Then the pain hit.

It started in his head, a heavy pounding inside his skull like something was trying to force its way out. Then it moved down his body like it was trying to burst out from under his skin. Harry's mouth opened wide to scream, but all that came out was a wheezing croak. There wasn't enough air left for him to scream and black dots were forming over his vision. His back arched in pain as muscles contracted and bunched, before suddenly releasing, and sending him the rest of the way to the ground face first into the grass.

Then it was over.

As quickly as it had all started it was over. The wind died down, the flames shrank and disappeared with the wind and everything fell quiet again. There was no sign of the Ritual left, both the chalk symbols and the candles were gone.

And so was Harry.

In his place was a very large, very hairy…something.

It had the basic look of a wolf, but was easily the size of a full-grown horse and as stocky as a bear. Thick, pitch black fur covered its body and around its neck was a lion like mane. It had powerful legs and broad shoulders connected to a large head. It also had the teeth to match, two of which had a similar look to a saber tooth tiger.

Finally, were its eyes.

Large and yellow, with darker flecks of gold. They almost seemed to glow in the dark night. Over the right eye was a familiar scar, the only blemish on its otherwise perfect form.

However, Harry was unaware of the change…at least until he tried to get up. Not realise he wasn't still human Harry tried to get to his feet only to fall back down when he found himself physically unable.

Surprised at the unexpected fall Harry finally took the time to examine himself, at least what he could. It wasn't until a few moments later that he realised his eyes were perfectly fine and the world was in complete focus. In fact, they were even better then with his glasses, and the dark didn't even seem to hinder him anymore.

Excitement shot through Harry as he realised it had worked.

It took almost ten minutes for him to finally get to his feet and another five before he could walk. Luckily no one was around to see the giant…wolf, tripping over its own feet and stumbling into its...muzzle. this was going to take some getting used to.

Eventually he got the hang of walking.

Then there was the rather embarrassing moment when Harry felt something brush against his rear end and turned to see what it was…and kept turning…Harry wasn't proud that it took him several more minutes before he realised he had been chasing his own tail and it was only because he fell over and got a clear look at it as he was tangled in his own limbs for a moment.

Remembering that there was a small pound on the other side of the park Harry slowly started to make his way towards it. His steps were still unsure as he walked, almost tripping several times. But the longer he was walking the more confident his steps became.

Everything looked so much smaller, though it was more that he was just so much bigger.

Harry soon found that the less he thought about it the easier it was to move in the unfamiliar body. Except it wasn't unfamiliar…the longer he was in this body the more it felt…natural.

Shacking the thought from his head for later Harry soon found himself looking down into the pound, which had been turned into a mirror thanks to a mixture of the darkness and moonlight. He took his time examining himself, taking in his large form and even larger teeth.

Harry had no idea what he was. It wasn't anything he had seen or read about before in either the mundane or magical world. He would need to look it up later when he was human again.

When he finished examining himself in the reflection of the pond Harry finally allowed himself to feel excited again.

He was a Animagus!

Ok so he didn't really know _what_ he was, but that wasn't the point. He was a giant Wolf...Bear…Lion…and possible Saber Tooth Tiger…How cool was that! Weird sure, but still cool.

Without thinking, which is probably why he could do it without tripping over his own feet, Harry turned on the spot and started running. He had no reason for it and just found himself running from one end of the park to another repeatedly but he didn't care.

Harry felt something building in his throat and stopped running. The next thing he knew Harry released a loud, bone chilling howl at the sky and moon overhead. Even to Harry's ears it was eerie and echoed around him.

It wasn't until a moment late that he realised his mistake.

Despite the park being so large and feeling isolated it was still in the middle of a neighbourhood full of muggles.

Muggles who were woken up by his howling.

Harry could see lights being turned on in houses in the distance.

Letting out a small whine like sound, Harry quickly turned away and moved back to where he left his clothes. Hopefully he would turn back before anyone came to investigate.

Harry changed back to normal not long after that.

It was painful, though not as painful as changing into his Animagus form had been. It involved a lot of groaning, twisting and what sounded a lot like bones snapping. It remained Harry a lot of what it had been like seeing Lupin changing into a werewolf. When Sirius changed it was fluid and quick. One moment he would be a man and the next a dog. Lupin's change was slow and ruff, like he was fighting it every second of the change.

Harry could only hope it would get easier with practice. Even when he returned to a human Harry could feel the difference. He didn't understand it but Harry knew that if he wanted to he could change back. Something had been opened in his mind and he could feel it.

Quickly putting his clothes back on Harry ran without looking back when he saw touch light shining in the darkness and getting closer. Harry was running before he even had his shirt all the way on, just avoiding the two police officers that were looking around.

It wasn't until he was back in his room, being careful not to wake his relatives, that Harry even realised he had forgotten his glasses yet could see perfectly.

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Things got a little difficult for a few days after Harry preformed the Ritual.

His run around the park defiantly didn't go unnoticed by the Muggles. The police had found his tracks all over the place and had gone door to door the next day informing everyone that lived locally that a bear had wondered into the area. Luckily his howl had been all but forgotten, partly because there were no wild wolves in England, but mostly because the track he left behind were too large to be any recognised species and were just assumed to belong to a bear.

A curfew had been put in place until they either found the animal or they were sure it had moved on.

Now while his relatives could care less if Harry left the house at night while a dangerous wild animal was running around the neighbours would report seeing him in a second. Not to mention the police cars that would be passing through regularly.

Harry had considered practicing in his room, but the fact was it was just too small. He also doubted the floor would be able to hold the increased weight. While the thought of his Aunt's horrified face as he came crashing through the roof of the living room was funny Harry would need the room to sleep in for the rest of the summer.

So, despite wanting nothing more than to sneak out and run around in his Animagus form Harry was waiting for things to calm down again. However, it was proving to be harder than Harry would have thought.

The longer he went without changing the more agitated he became. His temper was on a hair trigger and more than once he had caught sight of his reflection only to find his eyes turning yellow instead of their usual emerald green. But it wasn't just his eyes there were being affected.

His teeth would change a little and become sharper, not enough to be a problem but it was easy to see they were struggling to fit in his mouth. The nails on his fingers would become black claws and catch on his cloths and he had even cut himself a few times when it happened without him noticing. Harry knew he wouldn't last much longer without changing. The book had said nothing about anything like this happening.

He didn't know why, but he knew something wasn't right and the only way to fix it was to change.

Which was why Harry was so happy when after the third day the police announced that the 'bear' had moved on and that they found no more sign of it. The curfew was lifted, though they advised everyone to still be careful and report if they saw anything.

He barely waited for them to drive away before running out the front door and sprinting towards the park. The sky was already dark and most people were still staying inside to be sure for another day or two so he didn't run into anyone on the way.

The gate into the park was chained closed by the time he got there, but without pause Harry leapt _over_ the ten-foot-high wall and rolled on the other side. Still not stopping Harry continued the roll onto his feet and kept running.

The change happened almost without him even thinking it.

Faster than the last time, but still painful. He stumbled onto all fours as his body changed yet still Harry didn't stop.

The pressure that had been building up for the last three days was gone. Harry felt better then he could ever remember. He finally came to a stop in the middle of the park, his whole body shacking and happy growls coming from his fanged mouth.

His adrenalin finally calming down Harry turned back the way he came.

Only to see a trail of torn fabric that had once been his clothes…

That wasn't right. When Sirius changed his clothes changed with him. Maybe it was a skill he would need to work on later. He would have to think of a way to get back to the Dursleys without cloths…that wasn't going to be fun.

But for now, Harry was going to enjoy himself.

Like the first time he changed after the Ritual Harry let himself fall into his instincts to help him move. This time he focused on his senses. Particularly his sense of smell, which was not only super charged but was also acting weird. Like, _seeing_ smells as foggy clouds of colours weird.

Most seemed to be plane shades of brown that Harry somehow knew were the natural smells of the park. The earth, grass, and other smells of nature. Which was why Harry was so surprised when several other colours crossed his line of…smell…sight? There were four of them, close together and faded. But getting thicker and were starting to overpower the subtler scents of nature.

The first was light pink, the second dark purple, the third dark pink and the last a slightly lighter shape of purple then the other.

Turning his head to follow where the smells were coming from Harry felt his already large eyes widen. Over at the gate were four teenage girls about the same age as him. They were squeezing through the small gap that the chain couldn't keep closed and into the park.

Harry quickly ran to the other side of the park where several large bushes and trees had been planted but never tended, getting overgrown. He was forced to crawl on his belly to get behind them and stay down so that they provided some form of cover, but even then, it wasn't enough and he tried to stay as still as possible to avoid drawing attention.

And there he stayed.

He watched as the girls walked around the park at seemingly random, laugh and joking. It wasn't until they got closer that Harry recognised them as four girls he went to Primary School with, before he left for Hogwarts. He couldn't remember their names but he did remember that like Dudley and his gang they made his life hell.

Harry continued to watch as they came to where he had been standing when they first arrived and stopped at the sight of his footprints in the earth. It made them pause for a moment before their smiles grew and they split up. They all had their mobile phones held out in front of them with the lights on as they looked around.

It didn't take Harry long to realise that they were looking for him. A slight growl crawling out of his throat without him meaning it to. Unfortunately, while quite it was enough to draw the attention of one of the girls.

As she got close Harry could separate her smell from the others as the dark purple. She had long dark brown hair tied back into a pony tail and blue eyes. Her face was covered in makeup. The white shirt she wore under the grey jacket ended above her bellybutton and her jeans were low down on her hips. It was the sort of look you would never see at Hogwarts, not with the old-fashioned ways it was run, but seemed to be common with muggles.

She didn't seem to notice him at first, slowly steeping closer with the camera of her phone pointed towards the bushes he was crouched in.

"Hey! You find anything yet?" one of the other girls called, the one with the light pink smell.

The girl in front of him turned to look over her shoulder but didn't turn the camera away. "I think so, I heard something over here in the bushes!" She called back.

Harry was running out of options, and his instincts weren't helping. They were screaming at him to stop hiding and hunt. It was taking all his will power not to lunge at the girl as she continued to get close. Another growl, this time deep in his chest, filled the air. It was enough to make her hesitate even as the other girls started to make their way over.

Then she noticed him.

The light from her phone shone on his face, making his eyes and bared teeth glow.

Her face went deadly pale and her hand started to shake at the sight of him as her friends moved to her side. They quickly followed her example and froze in place, colour draining from their skin.

Now that they saw him and there was no point in hiding, Harry slowly stood up. Even while still in the brushes he towered over both them and the four teens, his yellow eyes locked on the first girls deep blue.

Then the one that smelled like light pink did the worst thing she could have possible done at that moment. Something that her friends quickly followed.

She ran.

The other three not a second behind her.

And it took all of Harrys strength and will power to give them a five second head start before his new hunting instincts completely took over at the site of running pray and he burst out of the bushes and charged after the fleeing girls.

He was not fast. His large form was heavy and made for strength and endurance more than speed. However, his large steps and leaps were quickly closing the gap between the four teens. His growls had become a cross between barks and roars as he chased them across the park.

They reached the gate and the light pink girl was quickly through, being the first to have run and get to them. She was followed by the dark pink and lighter purple a moment later. However, when the last girl tried to squeeze through she panicked when she saw him closing in and got herself stuck half way through.

Harry couldn't stop himself. Her struggles only added fire to his instinct to hunt and he pounced, kicking up soil behind him into the air like a cloud.

His teeth bared, his eyes locked.

She slipped through at the last possible second just as one of his teeth grazed her arm.

She fell to the ground on the other side of the gates as Harry slammed into them with his whole body. The thick iron bent outwards, but was somehow able to stay on its hinges. He saw the girl's friends quickly pulling her further away from the now misshapen gate while she clutched her arm, blood dripping down it from where his tooth grazed it and cut through the skin.

Shaking himself after the collision, Harry forced himself back under control because of the shock. He rolled to his feet but didn't move away from the gate. Harry knew if he wanted to he could break it the rest of the way and sink his teeth into the four teens even as he licked the drop of blood that had caught on one of his saber like teeth.

Harry pushed his face up against the gates bars and locked eyes with the four girls, lips pulled back and teeth bared.

They didn't stick around long after that and quickly ran off down the street.

When they were gone and the scent started to become less prominent Harry shook his large head again to clear the last of the fog from his mind. He needed to get away before the police showed back up.

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 **So, I hope you like the chapter.**

 **The thing where Harry is seeing Smell as colour is a form of** 'Synesthesia' **, for those who want to look it up.**

 **For those wondering about the girls taking video with their phones, it will not be very good video. After all Magic has odd effects on tec. They will have blurry video of a large _thing_ , but not enough to cause too much trouble for Harry. It will be like a blurry picture of bigfoot.**

 **As I am sure most people realised by the hints dropped in this chapter Harry is not a normal Animagus. I will say however he is not a Werewolf, at least not in the same way as Lupin. I don't want to go into too much detail now as it will all come out throughout the story.**

 **I will say the Horcrux in Harry's scare is gone. Call it a side effect of using the Ritual for now. So Harry can no longer talk to snakes.**

 **Anyway, let me know what you think :)**


	2. Changes

**I went back over chapter one and fixed as many mistakes as it could. Also made a few little changed just to help the story flow a bit better. Nothing big so you don't need to read it again if you don't want to but just thought I'd let you know.**

 **A lot of good guesses on Harry's Animagus form, but none completely right. He is not a Changeling, he did not become an Animagus through Accidental Magic. He used a Ritual, one he didn't know the history of. And like it said in the last chapter rituals can sometimes have…unexpected side effects. ;)**

 **Also, I want to make it clear.**

 **There is a slight change with one of the Weasley family in this chapter. It is not a mistake, it is something I have changed for this fic.**

 **The last thing is that I am looking for a Beta Reader. I know that I make a lot of mistakes, but believe me I try. I read over the first chapter several times before posting it and still missed things that I noticed after reading it over again. If you are interested in Beta Reading for this Fic please PM me.**

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 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Harry Potter

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Chapter 2- Changes

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Getting back to his relative's house after what happened in the park was not easy.

For one thing he was forced to change back into human form so people didn't start screaming about a giant wolf running around the street. It was just easier to get around unnoticed as a human. The key word being _easier_ , not easy.

Harry was forced to not only run back naked, seeming as his cloths had been destroyed when he changed, but also avoid the police that had shown up and were heading to the park. Lots of flashing lights and loud sirens, which of course meant people came out of their homes to see what was going on and making it even harder for Harry to get around without being seen.

By the time he got to Privet Drive he was forced to jump over the back Gardens and sneak in the back door. The whole street was out including the Dursleys. It did make it easier to get inside and up to his room without them noticing him though.

So, after a quick shower to clean off the dirt that had clung to him while running around both as a giant wolf and a naked human Harry ran to his room and carefully closed it so it didn't squeak.

For the next hour Harry sat on his bed and listened as more sirens passed the house. He had messed up. If it was hard to change before it was going to be impossible now. Then there was the fact he almost killed those girls. Would have, if they had been just a little slower.

Even now Harry could feel his blood pumping. The rush he had gotten from chasing down prey, the drop of blood he licked from his tooth.

Despite how much he didn't want to admit it Harry had enjoyed it.

0o0

It was on the morning news the next day. Along with some, thankfully, very blurry videos. The most you could see was yellow eyes floating over some very large teeth from when he had been crouched in the bushes. After that it was mostly very shaky and a large black blur chancing the one who was filming.

They were now looking into any zoo's where the unidentified animal could have escaped from, alone with anyone that might have been able to smuggle a large animal into the country illegally. The Police had also reinstated the curfew. They didn't say when it would be lifted.

But if there was one thing Harry learned over the last few days it was that he couldn't leave it that long before changing again. After all, only three days was enough to put him on edge to the point he had almost lost control several times. Who knew what would happen if he tried to go longer.

He couldn't stay here. He needed somewhere with space to change.

Harry wasn't due to leave for the Burrow for another week. The plan was to for the Weasleys to pick him up a week before the World Cup. He would then spend a day at the Burrow before he, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, the Twins, and Ron's two oldest brothers Bill and Charlie went to set up the tent.

The original plan had been to arrive on the day, but apparently the Ministry was expecting it to be busier then they first thought and they needed to arrive early to claim their camping spot. Mr Weasley and Percy would arrive on the day but until then Bill and Charlie would be keeping an eye on them.

But until then he would need to think of something.

The Leaky Cauldron would do for a few days. While not big enough to really move around they would be magically reinforced so he wouldn't have to worry about falling through the floor.

Also, Tom the owner was someone Harry trusted to keep quiet about anything weird. The man had been running the busiest Wizard pub for longer than Harry had been alive. He was 'used to ignoring weird things', at least that was what he told Harry the year before when he spent half his summer there.

It wasn't the best option, but it was better than getting caught by Muggles and being shot. Or put in a zoo. That would be really embarrassing.

So, with his mind made up Harry quickly gathered all his school things into his truck. However before leaving he moved to his desk and wrote a letter to Ron telling him where he was going so they knew where to pick him up. Hedwig was out the window a moment later and was out of sight in seconds.

Harry didn't bother telling the Dursleys he was leaving and doubted they would notice any time soon. Between them avoiding him and Harry avoiding them since he got back he wouldn't be surprised if they didn't realise the Weasleys never came to pick him up.

So, without a word Harry left, catching a bus into London.

It was _hell_.

There were so many people packed into a small space that between the sounds and smells his head was pounding. Not to mention that since it started last night while he was changed Harry's sense of smell was still messed up and he was smelling colours. It wasn't as strong as when he was a wolf but it was still confusing.

By the time Harry stumbled off the bus his head was spinning and his legs were weak. It got better when he was outside because most of the smell was covered over by a thick, dark grey smell that burned a little. Harry was quickly able to follow it to the cars passing by. There was still a lot of people, all with their own scent and colour blurring together, but it was overpowered by the acidic smell of pollution.

He quickly made his way to the Leaky Cauldron, wanting to spend as little time in London as possible. However, the sight of the Leaky Cauldron made him pause. The smell of pipe smoke and stale beer was already think in the air before he even entered. His mind processing them as grey and yellowy brown respectively.

Taking a deep breath before opening the door, Harry grimaced and stepped inside.

0o0

 **One Week Later**

0o0

"What the bloody hell happened in here?"

Harry gulped as he stood behind Tom, the hunchbacked barman staring at what was left of the room he had been renting for the last week.

The bed was snapped in half and the four banisters around it were snapped and had teeth marks in them. The mattress, bedding and curtains were shredded beyond recognition and the floor and walls were covered in deep claw marks. There was even a small hole in the far wall looking out over the alley.

As it turns out the rooms at the Leaky Cauldron were indeed reinforced with magic. Unfortunately, Harry also discovered that he really didn't like being in a confined space while in wolf form….and the room had suffered for it.

Harry also found that just sitting/lying around in his wolf form didn't help much. He was still on edge, if not to the same extent he had been before. It was the difference between eating plain porridge and a stake. The Porridge filled you up and eased the pain, but it wasn't as satisfying.

Even now Harry felt like thousands of ants were crawling under his skin. It was taking a lot of effort to stop himself from snapping at Tom even though he knew the man had a right to be angry over the room.

However, after a _lot_ of practice Harry could now change without destroying all his cloths…just most of them. His underwear moulded into his flesh when he changed so long as he concentrated but the rest of his cloths were still torn apart. It was better than being naked every time at least.

Then there were the physical changes his body had gone through over the last week. Harry had always been small and skinny for his age, though mostly because the Dursley's rarely fed him growing up. But over the last week he had grown several inches and was slowly gaining muscles. Dudley's old cloths weren't as baggy as they use to be, though still not a good fit they seemed to be good at hiding most of the changes.

He was stronger than before too. Harry learned that while trying to stay human after losing his temper and punching a hole through the wall. Don't even get him started on his diet. Long story short Harry had developed a taste for Rare Steak he didn't use to have and he was eating a _lot_ more than he used to. His canine teeth had grown larger even while human into almost fangs and Harry had to be careful because they kept poking out over his bottom lip.

But the main change over the last week was something Harry had no explanation for. He had been at a small park in Muggle London, just trying to get himself used to the different smells. Sat on a random bench in an out of the way area with his eyes closed Harry had been completely focus on the smells around him.

Only for his concentration to be broken by loud barking and someone yelling. Opening his eyes with a frown Harry turned his attention towards the sound only to see a large Doberman running straight at him. It had a lead clicked to its collar but the man Harry assumed had been walking it had lost control and dropped it.

The dog was running straight at him, its eyes wide and teeth bared. Frustrated that his concentration had been broken Harry stood up and faced the charging dog with his own teeth bared as his eyes locked with the animals.

Then _it_ happened.

He wasn't sure where it came from or what exactly it was, but something inside Harry seemed to flood out of him in every direction. Whatever it was it couldn't be seen even by him, but Harry could _feel_ it.

And so, it seemed, could the Doberman.

The large dog let out a high-pitched whine and came to stop right in front of Harry, before rolling onto its back and lifting its head to expose its throat to him in submission.

Unsure of what had happened and not wanting to deal with the owner, Harry had quickly fled the area.

Thinking quickly Harry tried to think of a reasonable explanation for the damage to the room while Tom slowly walked around and looked at it. "I-I'm really sorry about this Tom, I'll pay for the damage and-" Harry started to say, only to be interrupted when Tom pulled out his wand.

"Hmm? Oh, don't worry about that lad." Said Tom. Without even looking at Harry the hunched barman waved his wand and the room exploded into movement and started to fix itself. Tom didn't even wait for it to finish before turning back to Harry and walking out of the room. "Wish I could say it was the first time something like this happened, but you'd be surprised. I once had someone Animate the furniture by accident so they danced around and sung songs, took a week to get it sorted." He continued, already walking away.

Though he did take a moment to examine Harry from head to toe before leaving, his eyes seeming to search for something. But whatever was running through his head Tom seemed to think better of it a moment later as he shook his head and left.

Harry could only blink in confusion at the retreating form of the older wizard.

But he wasn't going to complain.

Shaking his head as a quite chuckle escaped his lips Harry pulled the door shut and moved to the stairs, his truck dragging behind him.

Despite it not been a very good week Harry didn't let it go to waste. He spent hours trying to teach himself to separate the different smells and colours around him. Identifying what they were, who they belonged to and was even able to ignore a few now. At least providing they weren't too strong and overpowering.

It hadn't been easy through.

The first two days he was staying at the Leaky Cauldron Harry was almost sick every time he came down to the bar. He still struggled when it was busy.

He also took the time to venter into muggle London to the Library to look through books and use the computers trying to find out what his Animagus form was. He found nothing. The closest he found that even looked close was something called a Dire Wolf and they were extinct. But based on what the Muggles knew them to look like it wasn't his Animagus form.

When that fail he started looking through the Magical world. Though it had never been reported as far as Harry knew to have an Animagus form of a Magic creature he figured it couldn't hurt to check. That failed even worse than his muggle research. There was nothing even close in any of the Wizarding books he checked.

Harry had a feeling that finding out the name of his Animagus form was going to be a very long and tiring search. At least until Hermione decided to get involved. Knowing his friend, she wouldn't rest from the moment he told her he couldn't find it until she did. Then she would find out all relevant information on it and make Harry read it himself.

He loved Hermione like a sister, but she could get a little crazy when it came to things like this.

It was this line of thinking however that remined Harry that he was going to have to tell Ron and Hermine that he had become an Animagus without them and that something seemed to have gone wrong. Ron, he knew would be pissed, but mostly because Harry didn't wait for him so they could do it together. Hermione would be a pain though. While not against any laws, it was 'frowned on' to become an Animagus without supervisor.

And the method Harry used wasn't exactly…safe. As he was starting to be proven considering all the weird things that were happening. Though other than having an unknown giant wolf as his form, the odd side effect it was having on his human form, the weird thing that happened in the park with the dog and the fact he couldn't go more than a day without changing Harry thought he was doing ok…even _he_ didn't believe that. No way Hermione would.

At least when he got to the Burrow Harry would have more space to run around. He would need to be careful to go somewhere well out of the way so as not to risk running into anyone until he had better control but there was a lot of open land around the Weasleys property.

And then tomorrow they would head to the world cup, which was being held in the countryside. According to Hermione they were going to be in the middle of nowhere surrounded by forest. The perfect place for Harry to really stretch.

"Harry! There you are."

But until then, he needed to hold himself together a little longer.

Harry smiled as he approached the large fireplace in the corner, next to which stood Mr Weasley.

0o0

Even before he became a Animagus Harry was not a fan of Floo Travel. It was fast and confusing and made you smell like smoke and soot by the time you came out the other side.

He also tended to not have good landings, like right now. Most people when coming out of the Floo landed on their feet and if they weren't used to it might stumble a little or trip. Harry wasn't most people. He did not stumble. Picture a fireplace shaped cannon, where Harry was the cannonball. He shot out of the fireplace, across the room and right into the suspiciously placed setae that didn't use to be there the last time Harry had seen it.

There was a confused moment that followed as Harry tried to process the fact he was surrounded by sniggering red heads standing on the roof. Then he realised he was upside down and tried to right himself, only to end up falling off the setae and onto the floor.

The sniggering quickly turned into full blown laughter as Harry got to his feet and glared at everyone.

"Strike! Nice shot Harry, but your landing could still use some work." Called one of the twins. They were stood between to two older redheads that Harry had never met before.

The one on the right had short hair, a short scruffy beard, and broad shoulders. While most Weasleys Harry had met were tall and gangly this one was a little shorter and covered in muscles. He had on a white cotton shirt and brown pants held up with suspenders. He also had the scent of smoke and fire, mixed with a little earth. Harry's mind processed it as a red/brown. He was grinning at Harry with his eyes sparkling in amusement. **(1)**

The one on the right was tall and skinny like the rest of his brothers, had shoulder length hair and a fang earring in his left ear. He was dressed in plain cloths but had a black leather jacket. However, perhaps the most noticeable thing about him were the scares running down the right side of his neck that disappeared under his collar. He had an old, dry scent. But it was overpowered with something Harry couldn't identify but reminded him of wet dog. It all mixed together into a dark grey colour. He also had a tired smile on his face and gave Harry a small wave.

As he brushed some of the soot from his cloths Harry gave the two new faces a nod. He knew they were Bill and Charlie the two oldest Weasley children, but didn't know which was which.

Before he could say anything, the fireplace suddenly exploded with green fire and Mr Weasley stepped out without even stumbling, a large smile on his face as he looked from Harry to the setae. "Oh good, it caught you. Knowing your history with the Floo Molly thought it a good idea to move the setae." He explained cheerfully.

Harry's shoulder slumped at the man's words while the others continued to chuckle at his expense. Of all the things to have a reputation for, he was stuck with this…and not being dead…and supposedly killing a Dark Lord while still a baby with nothing but uncontrolled accidental Magic.

What was wrong with Witches and Wizards! Were they all completely stupid or something!

Harry quickly stopped his line of thought when he felt himself getting angry. When he got angry it was harder to control himself and his body would start to change. The last thing he needed was to turn into a giant wolf in the middle of the Weasley's living room.

Seeming not to notice his discomfort Mr Weasley walked over to his two eldest, who stepped forward so he could rest his hands on their shoulders. "I suppose introductions are in order. I know you've heard about them but let me introduce my eldest Bill and Charlie." He said with a fond smile.

He tilted his head to the tall boy that smelled like wet dog first, identifying him as Bill before nodding to the shorter redhead as Charlie.

Charlie was the first to approach, his large hand wrapping around Harry's smaller one as he gave an enthusiastic shake. "Nice to finally meet you Harry, heard a lot of good thing from the family about you over the years." Charlie said, the grin never leaving his face.

Harry just smiled and returned the hand shake, if less enthusiastically. "Same, you're the crazy Dragon brother, right?" He asked.

The joke got a laugh from the older boy. "That's me." He admitted before stepping back.

Bill approached him after Charlie moved back to where he was standing before. He was less energetic then his brother, but still seemed genially happy to meet Harry as he held out his hand. "Nice to finally meet you Harry." Bill said.

"You too." Harry returned with his own smile. However, he didn't miss the slight twitch of Bill's noise, or the way his eyes seemed to narrow a little when he got close. Harry also didn't miss the way he stiffened slightly and the tense air that seemed to hang in the air between the two.

Harry met the older boy's eyes and they ended up in a staring contest of all things. He didn't know why but something in Harry refused to look away first, something deep in his mind telling him to not back down.

Then _it_ happened again. The unknow force left Harry and smashed into Bill like a train. Bill broke contact instantly, his eyes moving down to the floor as he backed away and a very animal like whine escaped his lips. The other Weasleys didn't seemed to notice what Harry had done, there focus mainly on Bill and he moved away and sat down on a chair.

Though the tension in the air broke after Bill broke eye contact and the odd feeling disappeared, the room was deadly quiet. Harry however was surprised when instead of the worried and confused looks being directed at him, they were aimed at Bill.

Mr Weasley quickly stepped over to his eldest son and lay a gentle hand on his shoulder. "You ok Bill?" He asked quietly.

At first Bill didn't seem to even notice, lost in his thoughts, but with a little shake gave his father a small nod and a smile.

Unsure of what was happening, Harry was about to ask Ron what he had missed when he suddenly realised that Ron wasn't in the room. He turned to Ginny instead, who had move to sit on the setae now that it was safe. "Where's Ron?" He asked.

Seeming grateful for the distraction, Ginny got a mischievous look on her face that remined Harry a little too much of her Twin brothers. "Ron's in his room trying to finish his Homework. Mum's threated that if he didn't get a least most of it done before tomorrow she wouldn't let him go to the Cup. It's an empty threat of course, Mum would never follow through with it when she knows how important it is to him. But how often does she get the chance to properly motivate him into doing his School Work. General Hermione is with him to make sure he's doing it." Ginny explained, seeming to take pleasure in her brothers suffering.

Harry couldn't hold back his own chuckle at the thought. If there was one thing that could motive Ron, it was Quidditch…and Hermione looking over his shoulder. "Thanks, I'll head up then." He said.

Harry didn't linger and quickly made his way up to Ron's room.

Ron was sat at his desk, quill in hand and an open Potion book next to him. Hermione was sat next to him looking over what Harry assumed was some of Ron's finished work. However, despite what Ginny had said both Ron and Hermione seemed to be putting little effort into it and was staring off into space distractedly. Ron looked tired, like most of the family now that Harry thought about it. And Hermione kept looking at him with a worried expression on her face.

The room was covered in Ron's scent and to Harry appeared as dark blue in his mind. Though he could also pick up the light brown of Hermione mixed into it, though faint.

The moment he heard the door open Ron's head shot round and his eyes locked on Harry. A smile quickly formed, but Harry couldn't help but notice it was still off. "Hey Harry, good to see you mate." Ron said.

He gave a smile as Hermione came over and hugged him, though it wasn't the usual bone breaking ones she normally gave him and seemed to lack energy.

"Back at you Ron. And it's good to see you Hermione." Harry replied as he pulled away and moved to sit on the cot that had been placed in the room for him to sleep on. Hermione sitting next to him. She was being oddly quiet and it was making Harry a little nervous, but he turned his attention back to Ron. "Ginny's said your Mum was cracking the homework whip, how you are getting on?" He asked.

"Ok I guess…" Ron said distractedly, trailing off at the end.

Before the Ritual Harry had always been a little timid. It came from being raised to think you were worthless and in the way. So, he rarely pressed on personal matters unless other people brought it up first. After the Ritual Harry found himself being more confident and outspoken, and a lot less patient for people trying to skirt around something.

Harry let out a slightly annoyed sigh. "What the hell is going on Ron." He asked.

Ron's attention quickly locked fully back on Harry at the question. Harry saw as his friend seemed to debate something in his head before his shoulders slumped and he seemed to shrink into himself slightly.

Moving to sit across from Harry on his own bed, Ron ran a hand over his face tiredly. "Bill got Bitten at the last Full Moon." Ron said.

Harry's eyes widened slightly at that. He suddenly understood why everyone seemed a little off now. It also explained the scars and the smell he noticed when meeting Bill a few minutes ago.

Bill Weasley was a Werewolf…no wonder he smelled like wet dog.

"What happened?" Harry asked, not sure what else _to_ say.

Ron gave a little shrug. "You know how Bill works for the Goblin's as a Cursebreaker? Well sometimes the Auror Department hire them for big jobs to help take down wards before a raid. They got a tip off about this werewolf called Greyback, nasty piece of work. Likes to set himself up at the full moon in areas with kids in the hopes of infecting them. Of course, normally Aurors don't plan to raid somewhere they suspect a werewolf like Greyback is hiding out anywhere near the Full moon, too much risk of infection. But the intel suggested he was going to be moving on and they didn't want to miss the chance. Bill volunteered to help, they didn't even ask him he just stood up and offered to do it." Explained Ron in a dull voice.

"So, they set it all up, had a team of Aurors ready to charge in and everything the moment Bill got the Ward down. Only to find it wasn't just Greyback, but a whole pack! The moment the Ward came down they were mobbed. Bill saw Greyback making a break for it in the confusion and chased after him while the Aurors were busy fighting the others. He wasn't supposed to get involved after he took down the Ward but Bill didn't want to let Greyback get away. The Moon hadn't reached its peak yet, they timed it so they would attack just before when the Werewolves would least expect it, so they were still human. But by the time Bill caught up it was too late…" Ron said, tears in his eyes now but his voice getting stronger.

"Bill managed to fight him for ages, the Aurors had already started to catch up and everything. But they were too late and only got there in time to make Greyback run after biting Bill." Ron ended his explanation.

Harry didn't know what to say. What could he say? "I'm sorry Ron." He decided was the best, simplest response.

Ron seemed to appreciate it, his mood lifting a little. "It's not all bad. Say what you will about the Goblins, but they take care of the people that work for them. Because Bill is so good at what he does they offered to pay for his Wolfsbane Potion every month and he still has his job at Gringotts. The Ministry don't like it that the Goblins let Werewolves work for them, but they can't do anything about it without risking violating the treaty. They even have special room set up in Gringotts for the Werewolves that work for them to change during the Full Moon." Ron explained, an actual smile now spreading across his lips.

Harry was a little surprised.

Ron was a good guy at heart, but he was also more than a little prejudice. It was the first time Harry had ever heard his red-haired friend say anything nice about Goblins, and though he was ok with Lupin, Harry knew when he first found out about him being a Werewolf he didn't react well. But Ron sounded genuinely worried about his brother more than anything, and grateful to the Goblins for not leaving Bill to his fate.

It seemed with everything that had happened Ron had grown up a little. Harry couldn't say it was a bad thing.

Deciding that they needed a change of subject and still not liking how quiet Hermione was being, she didn't interrupt Ron once and it was freaking him out, Harry got to his feet and clapped his hands.

It made both his friends jump a little but Harry ignored it and put a smile on his face. "Right, I think we all need something to distract us from everything that's going on, and I know just the thing. I've got something to show you guys. But I can't do it here, so let's go for a walk." Harry said, already moving to the door.

He didn't turn back to see if they were following him, Harry knew they would.

0o0

 **Hope you liked the chapter.**

 **I know not a lot happened but the next chapter will have more I promise.**

 **So, in this fic Bill Weasley is a Werewolf.**

 **There is a reason for this, but you will have to wait until later in the story before learning what it is. I will say now this is not Slash. Harry will be paired with a Girl.**

 **Also, just a reminder, if anyone is interested in Beta reading this fic for me PM me.**

 **(1) I based his appearance off of Chris Pratt, but with Ginger hair.**


	3. Show and Tell

**Hey, so really sorry it has taken so long for this chapter. Life was getting in the way and I just wasn't in any mood to wright, which I am sure anyone knows means chapters never come out right when you try and push through. I have been doing little bits of this chapter when the mood struck me though and it has slowly come together.**

 **So, finally, enjoy :)**

0o0

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Harry Potter

0o0

Chapter 3- Show and Tell

0o0

Wanting to be sure that no one saw him change Harry made Ron and Hermione follow him until the Burrow was little more than a dot in the distance. While he didn't plan to hide he was an Animagus forever he wanted to let certain people know first. While the use of a Ritual was…questionable, the most he could get was a fine for doing it in a Muggle park. While he didn't like to flaunt his money, Harry had more than enough in his Gringotts vault to last a lifetime, and that was just his trust vault. A 150 Galleon fine wasn't even a drop in the sea for Harry.

Hermione was still being quiet. Harry knew she wasn't sure how to talk to Ron and was afraid of saying the wrong thing, but it was getting weird. This was the first time Harry had known her to go so long without saying _something_.

Ron on the other hand seemed to be trying to take his mind off what was happening with his brother. "So, what's this all about Harry, and why are we so far away? I can barely see my house from here." Ron asked for what must have been the tenth time in the last five minutes.

It was starting to get on Harry's nerves and he was gritting his teeth the whole time, but he hadn't changed since yesterday and his skin was already starting to crawl. "Just stop asking already!" he yelled, being careful not to look at either of them because he knew his eyes would be glowing yellow.

Both Ron and Hermione jumped back, eyes wide and shocked expressions on their faces. At his outburst

Harry regretted it the moment the words left his lips and took several deep breaths to calm himself down before looking at them. "I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean it. It's just…" Harry tried to explain but couldn't find the words. Running a hand down his face Harry quickly looked around one more time to make sure they were alone.

Biting his bottom lip, his new sharp canines suddenly becoming very visible to his friends as their eyes moved to it, Harry sent one last glance at them before pulling off his shirt. If they weren't already shocked from his behaviour, the site of Harry suddenly stripping in front of them would push them certainly did.

By the time Harry was taking off his trousers Hermione finally found her voice again. "Harry Potter what are you _doing_ , put your cloths back on!" She all but screamed at him. Her face was bright red and she was facing away from him slightly but was still looking at him out the corner of her eye.

Ron, having shared a dorm room with Harry for the last three years, was less effected but still confused. Mostly because he could see the difference from the last time he saw him "Since when do you have _muscles_ Harry?" He asked.

Ignoring their questions Harry quickly stripped down to his pants and threw his cloths to the side out of the way. "Look I can't really explain this until I show you, so just bear with me for a moment ok? And don't scream or run, it messes with my head and believe me you don't want to see what happens." Harry told them, adding on the warning quickly.

Seeming to get over most of her embarrassment by this point when she heard the seriousness in his tone, Hermione moved to face him again. "Harry what's going on, your acting really weird?" she asked clearly worried as she moved to step closer.

Harry didn't let her get closer and stepped away, holding his hand up to ward her off.

Closing his eyes Harry's breathing started to pick up into pants through clenched teeth.

Hermione was clearly getting very worried by this point, and once again made to step closer, "Harry what's happening-" only for her words to freeze in her throat when Harry's body exploded and was replaced by his Animagus form with a loud roar.

Hermione fell back on her arse with wide eyes and went very pale, while Ron was just frozen in place. Harry chuckled at their reactions, though in his wolf form it came out as growls that only seemed to scare them more. Deciding that he would need to wait for them to get over their shock, Harry sat down and just watched them for a few minutes as they took in his form.

Hermione picked herself up after about a minute of just staring at him and made to run, her fear getting the better of her and Harry's eyes narrowed slightly when he saw it. But before she could get far and trigger his instincts to chase her Ron moved into her path and wrapped his arms around her, holding her in place while never taking his eyes off him as he watched. Through Harry was a little surprised, and grateful, when he noticed that Ron was avoiding looking directly into his eyes.

Eye contact, Harry learned, was another thing that affected him. He read up a little about dogs and wolves' behaviour and there was something about eye contact being a form of challenge and dominance, so Harry assumed that it had something to do with that.

Maybe it was something Ron had learned recently, what with everything going on with Bill.

Harry tired not to let her fear get to him, but the sight of Hermione trying so desperately to get away from him hurt.

She struggled for a moment in Ron's grip before he could calm her down enough to speak. "Hermione don't! Its Harry! He said not to run. Just stop." Ron all but shouted in her ear, his words finally getting through to her after another moment while he practically lifted her off the ground to stop her running.

Still breathing slightly heavier than normal, Hermione gave a little nod and Ron carefully let her go. The fact that Harry had made no move towards them seemed to help but she was clearly still scared.

Harry quickly change back to human form and gave them an uneasy smile, afraid of what they were going to say. "Sorry about that…maybe I should have explained first _then_ showed you…" He said.

Both his friends were looking at him as if he had just said the most stupid thing in the world.

Eventually Ron was the one to speak first. "You think Mate, what the bloody hell Harry?" He asked, though the tension was broken when they all started chuckling.

0o0

"You stupid! - _Ow!_ – Irresponsible! - _Ow!_ \- Hairbrained!-"

"Hermione stop hitting me!" Yelled Harry as Hermione punctuated each insult with a punch to his chest as if to reinforce her point.

After they calmed down Harry explained about how he used a Ritual to become an Animagus. After explaining things to Ron and Hermione she was not very happy with him, as could be seen by her continually insulting and assaulting him. He could barely feel the hits but it was getting on his nerves and he was getting increasingly annoyed with each hit.

They sat on the ground with Ron across from Harry and Hermione currently next to him as she continued to call him an idiot. Ron was just laughing at the scene, which considering how down he had been since arriving Harry couldn't be angry at him for.

"Not only did you do something so stupid as to become an Animagus without us, but you used _the_ most reckless method possible! And now look at what happened, clearly something went wrong because that… _thing_ you changed into isn't normal. And you look different too, don't think I don't see those fangs your trying to hide behind your lips! What were you thinking Harry?" Hermione scolded him.

Harry frowned at how she referred to his wolf form as a 'thing', and growled a little with his lips pulled back and showing her just how big his teeth were. "Watch what you say Hermione, my temper is a little short now. I don't want to lose it." He warned her, his voice deep and almost a growl of its own.

His reaction seemed to startle Hermione and she backed away a little.

Ron quickly jumped into the conversation, tying to distract him and get his attention away from Hermione's words. Clearly he had picked up a few things from dealing with his brothers. "What exactly is your Animagus form anyway Harry? I mean I know it's like a wolf or something…and it's wicked, but I've never seen one that looked like _that_ before?" Ron asked.

Harry gave a small shrug, his frustration at Hermione quickly fading as he turned to Ron. "No idea. I tried looking it up in both the Muggle and Magical World but nothing matches." He explained.

They fell quiet for about a minute after that before Hermione finally looked back to Harry and spoke in a slightly uneasy voice. "C-could you show us again? I didn't really get a good look before. If we are going to be researching tha-…your Animagus form, which we _will_ be doing, I need a better look to know what I am looking for." She explained, catching herself before calling the Wolf 'that thing' again after Harry's reaction to it before.

Not seeing any reason to argue Harry stood up without a word and concentrated. His breathing picked up again and his muscles tensed, and suddenly the Wolf replaced Harry again.

Having expected it this time both Ron and Hermione reacted a lot better. Though still surprised and a little afraid they didn't scream or flinch away. It made things easier for Harry if nothing else. However, as they slowly moved closer to get a better look at him Harry realised something odd.

Harry felt no need to attack.

He hadn't noticed it the first time because of Hermione panicking, but Harry felt no compulsion to hunt his friends.

When he had been in the park and those Muggle girls wondered into his path all Harry could do was try not to attack. But here, now, nothing. Even as Hermione slowly ran her hand down the fur mane around his neck and Ron walked around him Harry never felt the urge to Hunt.

There was something though. A feeling inside his mind.

It took Harry a few minutes before he could identify it, and the closest word to describe it was… _Pack_. The moment that word entered his head Harry knew that Hermione and Ron were his Pack, his family. But not just them, all the Weasleys too. Even Bill and Charlie who he only just met, they were his pack. They had taken him in, treated him like one of their own. something in his new animal instincts seemed to recognise this fact.

It was a nice feeling, realizing he had a family. It was one he didn't have much experience with but was quickly coming to like. He could feel it in his magic, a sort of thread connecting them to him. Unseen but very clearly felt.

As the minutes passed they started to get more comfortable around him and the fear seemed to slowly fade. Ron even moved to his muzzle and started examining his teeth. Harry slowly sat down so as not to scare them again and opened his mouth wide, so he could get a better look.

Ron's face quickly scrunched up in disgust when his breath hit him. "Oh god Harry, your breath stinks!" He gagged, backing away a little.

"Ow!"

Only for the back of his hand to catch on the end of one of his teeth, leaving a small cut. Harry lowered his head and let out a whine as he watched Ron cradle his hand, Hermione quickly walking over to see what was wrong. The smell of his Blood quickly mixed with Ron's scent, sharp and metallic. Even though there was little more than a drop this close it made his nose twitch.

Harry was about to change back and apologise when Ron looked at him and smile. "Don't worry mate, it's my own fault. I should know better than to put my hand in the mouth of a…whatever it is you are." He said. Hermione pulled a hankie out of her pocked and wrapping it around Ron's hand to use as a bandage.

Seeing that Ron was ok and feeling a little playful, Harry leaned forward and licked Hermione's face. "EWW! Harry that's degusting! I'm covered in drool!" Hermione squeaked, trying to wipe said drool off with little success.

Ron started laughing at her misfortune, at least until Harry did the same to him. "Oh God Harry! This is just wrong!" He complained loudly, though there was still a smile on his face.

Hermione had a frown on her face, but Harry could see that she was trying to hide a smile behind it. "So, Harry, how fast are you like this anyway? The more details I know the easier it will be to narrow down what you are." She explained.

Getting to his feet Harry looked down at them for a moment before turning around and started running a large circle around them, kicking up clumps of dirt as his paws hit the ground. As said before, Harry was not very fast in his Wolf form, slower than a horse but faster then what the average human can run. It was large, heavy and if he was running too fast almost impossible to make a sharp turn which was why the circle he was running was so big. He wasn't slow, but it was nothing special. However, Harry made up for it with pure stamina and strength.

It seemed no matter how long he ran for Harry just didn't get tired or slow down. After about 30 minutes of running Hermione called for him to stop, both She and Ron having sat back down at some point during his run. Skidding to a stop, and leaving four trenches in the dirt in the process, Harry walked back over to them and lay down.

He wasn't even panting, something that Hermione took notice of instantly. "Well your basic movements are definitely wolf like. Though I can also see some resemblance to a lion too. You're not overly fast but your stamina is incredible just like most wolves." She explained.

Ron sent her a confused look. "What do you mean?" He asked.

Letting out a sigh Hermione turned to face Ron with a slight frown at his ignorance. "Wolves while very proficient predators are not considered overly fast. Their main advantage is stamina and the ability to hunt as a pack and coordinate while hunting. They wear down their prey, box it in and then go for either the throat to kill or the legs to hobble so it is easier to kill. They work as a team and overwhelm their prey." She explained

Both Ron and Harry could only stare at her for a moment, slowly blinking, before the red head voiced what they were both thinking. "You know everything! How is it you know everything!" he yelled before they all laughed.

The good mood didn't last long though as Hermione once again seemed to be thinking about something, a frown on her face. "But the thing is you're also clearly not a _normal_ wolf. I just don't understand it! Not only are you a lot larger than any known species, you have clear traits from other animals. A stocky build around your shoulders and chest like a bear, a lion like main…don't get me started on those teeth of yours. Their practically prehistoric!" said a frustrated Hermione, looking ready to start pulling her hair out by the end.

Ron didn't seem worried and just grinned at Harry. "Who cares? Harry's Animagus form is badass. Maybe I should do the Ritual too? See what I get?" Ron asked seriously.

However, it didn't last long as Hermione leaned over and smacked him in the back of the head. "Don't be stupid Ron, you are not performing that Ritual. In case you haven't notice something isn't right here. The Animagus Transformation allows a Witch or Wizards to turn into an animal, the animal that is most natural to them. It's not supposed to be an amalgamation of several animals or effect their human appearance and behaviour." Explained Hermione with another frown.

Ron wasn't to be discouraged though. "So, what, Harry hit a growth spurt and is building muscle. How is that a bad thing?" He asked with a frown, though Harry noted he wasn't meeting Hermione's eyes.

Harry just lay there and watched as the two continued to argue.

Hermione was almost glaring at Ron now. "What about his behaviour? Harry said it himself his temper is shorter than it used to be. Not to mention he can't go long without changing without it messing with his head. Then there is this odd…whatever it is that he used against Bill without even knowing it. Ron, you know as well as I do that something is wrong with Harry's Animagus form!" She tried to reason with the red head.

However, it was then that Ron seemed to reach his breaking point and jumped to his feet. "But it's the fastest way to do it! The sooner I become an Animagus the soon I can help…Bill." Ron quickly lost his steam by the end, and fell back to the ground with his head low.

Hermione also seemed to calm down and looked at Ron sadly. "I though Gringotts has a safe place they can provide him to change?" She asked quietly.

Ron ran a hand over his face. "They do but…they'll lock him in a room with other werewolves that work for them and leave them in their until he changes back! I know it's the safest thing to do, but he's my brother. They also say that using the Wolfsbane Potion to control the wolf during the full moon can have side effects on the human body. You saw how Lupin looked so weak all the time? That's because he completely rejects his wolf and chains it up during the full moon with the Potion." He explained.

Clearly Ron had been doing his research. Both Harry and Hermione were impressed.

Before either could comment Ron continued. "You don't get it, Bill…Bill was always there for me. I'm the youngest son of a family with 7 kids, and the one born a year before my sister. Mum always wanted a girl, I think it's the only reason she had so many of us in the first place. Don't get me wrong I know she loves us but…I was just never really…but Bill was always there for me, for all of us. He was always looking out for use, helping my parents look after us. Even when he left home and started working he still helps mum and dad with the bills. He deserves better then to be treated like an animal!" Ron explained, tears gathering in his eyes before his fist hit the ground with a dull thud at the end.

It suddenly made sense why Ron was so eager to become an Animagus regardless of the risk. While it was unclear why, Werewolves didn't attack Animagus while in their animal form unless they attacked first, even if they didn't take the Wolfsbane Potion. Both Remus and Sirius had said how much it helped during the full moon. There was also a theory, though no one had ever really proven it, that Animagus were immune to a Werewolf Bite. No one was stupid enough to let themselves be bitten to test it.

Deciding he needed to talk Harry changed back into his human form, taking a moment to stretch. It always made him a little stiff when he changed back into human form.

When he felt relatively comfortable again Harry looked to Ron with a serious expression on his face. "I think Hermione might be right Ron. While I don't regret doing the Ritual something clearly isn't how it's supposed to be. I don't think you should do it. We just don't know enough about Rituals." Harry said, trying to explain his reasoning.

When he saw Ron's face turn red and the frown on his lips, Harry quickly spoke again before his friend lost his temper. "At least not until we know what went wrong. I can send a letter to Sirius and ask him for advice, he's from an old magical family after all so maybe he knows something about Rituals." Harry reasoned.

It seemed to be enough to defuse Ron's temper, though Hermione didn't look happy about it. Luckily, she didn't say anything, seeming to understand that it was a sensitive subject for Ron with everything happening with Bill. Harry didn't miss the odd look Ron suddenly got on his face though, at the mention of Sirius.

He could see the red head debating something before he spoke. "I know this doesn't come up much, you know with how we act. But my family is Pureblood too you know." Ron finally said, shocking both Harry and Hermione at what he was suggesting.

Hermione, being the ever curios one of the three, was the first to speak. "What…are you saying? Ron do you know anything about Rituals?" Harry could hear the accusation in her voice, though it was more for Ron not saying anything before then the fact he knew it.

Harry could practically _smell_ how uncomfortable Ron was now. The fact he and his family are 'Pureblood' had always been a touchy subject for the Weasleys. While most seemed to be proud and lord it over other, the red heads seemed to think of it more with shame.

Letting out a sigh and running his hand down his face, Ron gave a little shrug of his shoulders. "All Pureblood families know about Rituals. It was the only way to use magic before Wands were invented. All the different Families specialised, secrete Rituals passed down only to family. The Weasley Family used to specialise in Enhancement Rituals, enchanting objects, and such. Its why dad is so good at making things, Bill such a good curse breaker…even Fred and Gorge with their joke stuff. It's kind of carried over." Ron started to explain, not looking at either of them.

"Mums side were Beat Teamers, they used Rituals to bind animals to their will. Some say they were the ones to breed the first Owls used for post, and even formed the first familiar bone. Mum was never really into it, but Bill took after that side of the family more then anyone." He continued.

Harry could seem Hermione was itching to take notes, and ask a million questions, so he quickly spoke before she could et started. "So, I guess you know more about this stuff then either of us, what can you tell me about the Rituals I used?" he asked.

Seeming to think it over for a moment, Ron frowned in deep thought as he faces took in a look Harry had often seen Hermione use when lecturing them about some random topic. "Well…Rituals are all about symbolism, the meaning behind everything. Like the fact you used Dragon Bone and Unicorn Earwax. Dragons represent the peak predatory nature, while Unicorns Prey Nature. They are complete opposites and together symbolise all animal nature. They were used a lot for the Rituals Mom's side used. After that the Ruins you used are like instructions, they direct the magic. Like how we used wand movement and words to cast spells with a wand. They give the magic its Intent. The Full Moon is a natural amplifier, adding extra power to the Ritual. That's used more on Dad's side, but its basically the same thing." Ron explained, getting more confidant as he spoke.

Ron finally looked up at Harry at this point. "The triangle, what direction were the three points set?" he asked.

Harry thought about it for a moment, only to realised he didn't know. There had been nothing in the instructions about the direction the triangle needed to point. "I…I'm not sure." He said, unsure of himself now.

A look of surprise crossed Ron's face. "Bloody hell Harry! Every little thing has meaning with Rituals, even the slightest mistake causes the whole thing to blow up in your face…literally!" He practically yelled.

Taking a few deep breaths Ron shook his head before continuing, partly muttering to himself. "Ok, so I think I can work this out. Air is East, Fire is South, Water is West, and Earth is North. You're not a fish, so you not West. Same with East since you're not a bird. If it was South, you'd be dead. Fire has no direct symbolism with animals so it would have killed you instantly. That leaves North, since you're a land-based animal. While your form is some kind of…chimera, between several different animals they are still land-based. No wings or gills. So, the head of the triangle could only be set in dead North." The red head concluded.

Harry wasn't sure what to think at the moment. He had never seen for heard Ron so…intelligent? He sounded a lot like Hermione, it was a little weird.

Unaware of Harry's inner thought Ron turned back to Harry and asked a different question. "What Sacrifice did you place at which point?"

Harry was relieved he could answer this time. He hadn't told them what he had offered yet though, it had seemed a little personal. "My Hogwarts expectance letter at the head. An old plastic army man toy I had as a kid on the left of that and a picture of my parents holding me as a baby on the right." He admitted, a little embarrassed.

Ron's frown wet even deeper in thought as he heard this, his hand moving to the points of an invisible triangle as he mutter to himself. "So, the Army man would represent the Past, your childhood. An old, probably worn out toy actually could accurately represent how you were treated growing up, your will to be strong enough to fight against it. By Sacrificing it you are saying you symbolically using your abusive childhood to represent who you were. The Hogwarts Letter at the head would be the Present. The letter was your escape, set you free of the Dursleys. Freedom…it's a very animalistic symbol, you are lucky it fits with the purpose of the Ritual. The letter set you free of your abusive relatives. Last is the Picture, representing the Future. If I had to guess I would say the main Symbolism is Family. You've never had a real family, the picture set in the future is like you wishing for family." He said, not even seeming to remember Harry or Hermione were there.

"All three Sacrifices are related to your family…its like Hermione said, Wolves are Pack animals, there strength is in numbers, their family. It makes sense that your main form is a wolf actually when you think about it like that." He finished.

Ron also finally seeming to notice the looks both Harry and Hermione were sending him, a large blush covering his cheeks. "What? I can't be good at something other then chess? Dad always said I'm good at understanding the Symbolism behind Rituals. Its not that hard to work it out." he said defensively.

Unable to keep the grin off his face, a laugh escaping his lips. "Ron you are absolutely brilliant, you know that?" Harry said, making Ron blush even more.

"I have to admit, I am impressed Ronald. I never knew you could be so…knowledgeable, at least about something that isn't chess or Quidditch." Hermione added on, smiling. Though Harry knew that at some point she would be milking the red head for everything he knew. She would probably also quiz him about other things as well, to make sure he didn't have any other hidden knowledge.

Ron's blush started to spread down his neck at this point, and he was pointedly not looking at either of them again in embarrassment. "Oh, shut up you two, like I said its not a big deal. Not even useful since Rituals are hardly used anymore." He muttered, before turning serious again.

"Anyway, based on everything you told me Harry, something is missing." Ron said, getting confused looks from both Harry and Hermione.

"What do you mean?" Harry asked.

"Well, while a there was a _lot_ of luck involved, from what I can tell you did everything right. The Symbolise and Placement of the Sacrifices fit, and if you got the Ruins wrong, you'd be dead from the Magic backlash. Like how Seamus' spells used to blow up in his face, only bigger and with more blood and guts spraying everywhere. But _something_ didn't fit, throwing off the Rituals slightly. Not enough to have it blow up in your face, but enough to knock the magic slightly sideways. Can you think of anything? Probably something magical not part of the Ritual itself, like your Wand?" he asked.

This time it was Harry's turn to frown as he thought back over everything that happened during the Ritual. He didn't even notice his hand moving up to his scar as he remembered the pain in his head. "Well…my scar was burning again, but it was different then the other times." Harry said.

Hermione looked very pale when he said this, eye widening in worry. But Ron was still stuck in his analysis, muttering to himself again. "Its possible…no one ever survived the Killing Curse before, it could have left some kind of residue, or an imprint. No one would even think to look for it. So, if you add the possible residue of the Killing Curse to a Ritual dealing with animals and transformation…I guess the symbolism is death…or exaggerated predator traits. So, I guess if you take the basic form of a Wolf and make it more deadly, a better predator, you could get Harry's Animagus form." Ron finally concluded, seeming a little pound of himself.

At least until his own words hit him and he paled.

All three teens shared a worried look.

0o0

They stayed out for another few hours. Hermione insisted on Harry changing several times so she could see the way he changed and had him run around again both in wolf and Human form. Though he didn't have the chance to check it for himself before now they were able to confirm that he could run longer while in Human form then he should be able to like when in Wolf form. She also had him demonstrate the range of sounds he could make in wolf form, growls, howls, and roars.

The roars were what seemed to worry her most, simply because it should have been impossible for a Wolfs vocal cords to produce such a sound.

Hermione said at some point she wanted to examine his Wolf more closely and take measurements. She also wanted to do the same for his Human form while it was still rapidly changing so she could document it. Harry would be surprised if she had an entire book written on him by the end of it.

But eventually they needed to head back towards the Burrow for lunch. So, Harry put his cloths back on and they quickly made their way back in time for lunch.

It was an unusually quiet affair for the Weasley household. But given the circumstances Harry could understand. Bill still looked pale, his eyes darting to follow the slightest movement and his hands would start shacking randomly. Whenever it got too bad one of the other Weasley's would quickly move to help him. Laying a comforting hand on his shoulder, whispering comfort in his ear to help him calm down.

Harry didn't miss the looks the eldest Weasley kept sending him either, but the moment he turned to face him Bill's eyes would drop to the table. He seemed confused by him, his nose twitching as he caught his scent. Harry didn't actually know what he smelled like to Bill but had a feeling he could tell something was different the same way Harry could smell that Bills was a Werewolf.

He would need to talk to him soon, before he mentioned whatever it is he can smell to someone else.

Harry wasn't stupid, he knew he would need to come clean to people and soon. Too many things were happening that he didn't understand or control not to. But he wanted to wait until after the World Cup. After that, he would talk to Mr and Mrs Weasley and they could get in contact with Professor McGonagall. She did teach Transfiguration after all, and an Animagus herself.

Even if she couldn't help, McGonagall would be able to consult with Dumbledore.

But if he told them now they wouldn't let him go to the World Cup, he just knew it. All the adults would want to get him examined straight away and he would miss it.

After all, how much worse could things get in a week?

0o0

 **So that's it for this chapter, again sorry it took so long to be updated. I will admit I haven't even started on the next yet, but I wanted to post this chapter since it is finally done. Let me know what you think please.**


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